The last time I had traveled through Botanica in Wichita, Kan., was when I was 12 years old. I remember that vividly because at the time, it was summer and my mom didn’t like the idea of me staying home by myself, so she enrolled me in a summer class at Botanica. It was pretty neat, we got to learn about eco-systems and then went on a day trip to some Pow-Wow camp.
There are tons of statues hidden around Botanica. I especially liked this one, found in the Shakespeare Garden. The girl with the basket, is surrounded perfectly by plants that you could see someone picking.
Anywho, I took my mom to Botanica for Mother’s day. Botanica was free that day so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for us to experience something that had literally been in our backyard for more than 10 years. We got there early enough and we were able to travel through free from the overly large crowds that billowed in as we left.
Although I remembered my experience from Botanica as a 12-year-old, I really forgot how breathe-taking the atmosphere really is. While Riverside is a beautiful area, the inside of Botanica is like walking into a whole new world; really inspiring.
We were able to look at the building plans which included a kids corner, a giant tree house and a lizard pond.
I have been unable the last few years to really stop and smell the flowers (literally and figuratively) due to my overload of classes and multiple jobs. Now that I am only working the one job, I was intrigued by Botanica to venture to the other Forgotten Worlds around Kansas. Hopefully this will be a new segment for me– stay tuned!
Tags: Botanica, Forgotten Worlds, Gardens, jordan walker, Wichita
